


Like a Real Fire

by Katiechat (ladykateofledfordpark)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Adrien finds a home with Marinette, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt/Comfort, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Mentioned Gabriel Agreste, Mentioned Nathalie Sancoeur, POV Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Post-Episode: s03 Papa-Garou | Weredad, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, post new york special
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27924256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladykateofledfordpark/pseuds/Katiechat
Summary: Alone once again for the holidays, Adrien decides to visit Marinette for comfort. Once there, he finally finds a place he can call home.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 26
Kudos: 160
Collections: December 2020 - Advent Calendar





	Like a Real Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my wonderful friends InkJackets and AgresteBug for beta-reading this for me!  
> This was written for the Miraculous Fanworks Server's advent calendar.   
> Day 6: Shoes by the Fire

Adrien stared at the cackling fire. It moved, its image as convincing as the smile on his face. It wasn't  _ bad  _ quality, but the product didn't give him the same warmth a  _ real  _ fire would.

A black sofa wrapped him in its arms, offering comfort he couldn't receive anywhere else. He yearned for a holiday like he always saw in movies, but instead he learned to hate this time of year.

Maybe because it always made him feel… alone.

He tightened his hold on the mug in his hand. It was homemade apple cider, courtesy of Nathalie. By now the drink was at its last traces of warmth, offering little comfort in the familiar solitude; a feeling that only grew stronger this time of year.

He blinked back tears. And to think…

Adrien fixed the blue scarf on his neck. It was his favorite accessory; a handmade gift better than any present he’d ever received. He wanted his father to see him with it, so Gabriel could  _ see  _ how important this heartfelt gift was to him.

But once again, Gabriel stayed in the solitude of his study. Adrien, meanwhile, found himself eating at an empty table, singing holiday carols to himself, and sitting by the fireplace alone.

Adrien lowered his eyes. He didn’t know why he was surprised. His father was  _ always  _ too busy for him, even when all Adrien wanted was to see his smile, hear his laugh or feel his warmth.

He sunk back into the sofa. He lost himself in the feeling of its leather, noticing how the dark shade contrasted nicely to the animation's vibrant colors.

It reminded him of Plagg.

“Plagg black,” he mused. “Not a bad name for a color.”

A little figure stirred in his pocket. Adrien glanced down at his little friend, smiling to see the little glutton’s neon green eyes, like lights amidst the darkness. They lit something inside of Adrien, a strange yet powerful hope that things  _ will _ be better.

“Did you call my name?” Plagg asked groggily. “I wasn't sure whether it was you or the biggest cheese in the world. You know, the dish I was just about to savor before  _ you woke me up _ .”

The cat’s eyes misted at the memory before realization dawned on him and he grumbled in disappointment.

Adrien scratched the kwami’s head. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you plenty of cheese to make up for it.”

“You better.”

Adrien chuckled, his eyes drifting down to his wet shoes. They lay by the electric fireplace, gradually drying from the trip outside. It hadn’t been a long one—Adrien just wanted to help Gorilla shovel snow—but they still looked slightly damp.

The boy pressed a bare toe to them. Yup, still wet.

He huffed. His breath hit the fireplace, yet the animation wasn’t affected at all. It continued burning just like before, unbothered by the world’s plights. 

Adrien sighed. How could this possibly equal to a living, breathing fire?

He focused back on the animation. The fire moved, shifting into hypnotizing shapes in alluring colors. Something about it woke a strange, deep longing in him. Unfamiliar words rose to his lips, thoughts he didn’t often speak aloud.

“I miss her, Plagg.”

He missed the holidays beside her. He missed the hot chocolate they shared, the stories they always exchanged by the fire. He missed her singing, her smiles, her hugs.

He couldn’t remember the last time they’d spent together.

Plagg peeked his head out. His eyes searched the room as if it hid the key to comforting his friend. 

“Adrien?” he finally whispered. It was barely audible over the sound of the animation, like a light swollen in darkness.

Adrien found a smile rising to his lips. It was weak and fleeting, but Plagg was one of the only people who could cheer him up so easily.

“Yes, Plagg?”

The cat looked up at him, tears in his eyes. “I love you!”

Before Adrien could say a word, the black cat flew out of his pocket. The creature wrapped his tiny arms on Adrien’s chest, giving him the closest thing to his mother’s hug. Adrien felt a bit of the tension slowly seep away, leaving the room so much brighter.

“I love you too,” he uttered, feeling his heart automatically lighten. “Thank you for everything, Plagg. Without you, I don’t know what I would do.”

“Me too!” Plagg cried out, before suddenly backing away. “I-I _mean_ that I could never imagine my life without you…no, without the cheese you give me!”

Adrien laughed. The kwami playfully hmph-ed, turning his back to his holder.

Yet he didn’t back away.

The crackles of flames filled the quiet room, playing to a song Adrien didn’t have his heart in. He drifted in memories, letting the thoughts wash over him in a mix of nostalgia and longing.

He jumped when Plagg spoke again.

“You know, kid, you don’t have to spend the holidays alone.”

Adrien frowned. “What do you mean?”

Plagg turned to him. His eyes burned with determination, awakening in his holder a strange hope. “You can’t forget you have friends too!”

Adrien looked away. “They’re busy, Plagg. Nino and Alya are spending the holiday at each other’s houses, and Marinette… well, she’s in a cabin in the middle of the woods.”

“You can still visit her, Adrien!”

The boy frowned. “What do you…” He gasped when the realization hit him. “You want me to transform?”

Plagg’s eyes softened. “I want you to be happy. And sitting here all alone does  **not** make you happy.”

Adrien’s voice shook. “Are you sure?”

Wouldn’t it be strange to suddenly visit Marinette just like that?

The kwami nodded. “She’ll be happy to see you.”

The boy swallowed. Doubts still filled every crevice of his body, but the strange hope overcame them all. 

“Okay,” he finally said.

Plagg smiled.

***

A knock sounded on her door.

Marinette yelped. The mug she was holding jumped with her, spilling a dark, sweet liquid over the chair.

She hissed as a burning pain hit her skin. A large stain spread on her cotton pajamas, and she hurriedly set the hot chocolate aside.

“I can’t believe this!” she groaned. “How did I  _ fall asleep? _ ”

Her eyes shifted to the fire. It burned merrily, crackling at her utter misfortune.

She narrowed her eyes at it. How did this  _ thing  _ lull her to sleep?

“I’ll show you!” Marinette uttered. “I’ll… I’ll…”

Just as she was about to attack the fire with the poker, another knock sounded at the door. Marinette glanced back at it, reaching for a napkin instead. A familiar embroidery was stitched onto it, but she didn't pay it any attention.

“Fine, I’ll clean this up instead.”

She bent down towards the chair, and when she was about to start on her pajamas, she froze.

“Nononononono this can’t be. Tikki!”

The little kwami, who was sleeping on the mantelpiece, stirred. “Marinette?” she asked, blinking remnants of sleep from her eyes.

Marinette’s eyes widened. She looked at the stained fabric before hurrying to hide it behind her back. “Tikki!” She laughed awkwardly.

Why did she hurry to call her name so quickly?

“Is everything okay?” Tikki asked with a small voice.

Marinette nodded furiously. “Yes yes everything’s fine! I still have a Christmas gift for you and it’s all nice and clean and you’ll love it!”

“Oh,” Tikki said. She smiled, a strange shine in her face. “Thanks, Marinette.”

Her holder subtly tightened her grip on the stained fabric. Why hadn’t she realized this was  _ not  _ a napkin?

Just as she was about to say something, a third knock sounded. Marinette thought she heard a voice, but she wasn’t sure exactly whose.

“Tikki, hide!” she whisper-screamed.

The kwami, now wide awake, hurried to do just that.

And Marinette rushed to open the door.

“I’m so so sorry! I was busy… um… and couldn’t answer immediately! I…”

She stopped when she met electric green eyes. They blinked at her, before a wide smile rose to their owner’s face.

“ _ Chat? _ ”

She froze.  _ What  _ was he doing here?

The hero smiled sheepishly. “Hello?”

He held out a yellow rose. She caught a whiff of its sweet scent, feeling a memory awake deep within her. The last time he held out this beautiful flower to her, it was right before their meeting in New York.

The thought awoke a bittersweet feeling, but she pushed it away. Instead, she forced her attention to a  _ different  _ detail.

This wasn’t  _ any  _ yellow rose. A subtle red coated its tips, making the flower so much more striking.

“It’s beautiful,” she uttered.

Chat scratched the back of his neck, an awkward smile to his lips. “I thought you deserved it. Especially after last time.”

He flinched at the memory of their previous meeting. The incident of Weredad wasn’t one that was easy to forget, and Marinette hated to see it haunt him as much as it did her.

Her heart reached for him. 

“Thank you, Chat,” she smiled. She gently took the flower from him, letting its wonderful scent envelop her senses.

He sighed in relief, a wide smile brightening his face. “You’re welcome, Marinette.”

It was strange. The way his eyes shone, so powerful and bright—it took her breath away. It was almost like looking at the night sky: his suit was like its dark canvas, his eyes like stars themselves. 

She found herself smiling at the thought.

“Come on in.”

She moved aside, and Chat hesitantly entered. His eyes scanned the room, taking in its homely furniture mixed with cozy decorations. His shoulders relaxed, as if the enveloping heat burned all the cold tension away.

“Wow, this is…” he choked, his voice shaking with emotion. Chat’s eyes then met Marinette’s, a strange vulnerability in his gaze. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” she smiled.

She led him toward the fireplace. Chat followed with small steps, as if he just entered a marvelous new world. He paused when she sat by the hearth, gazing up at him with lovely sky-blue eyes.

“Sit.”

A strange fear gripped his heart. He suddenly felt like a new servant in a palace, gazing down at a beautiful, kind-hearted princess. How could he be wanted here, when even at his home he was shunned away?

He shifted his gaze. “I… don’t know if I can.”

“It’s fine,” she assured him. “My parents won’t mind. They love you.”

He met her eyes, clear surprise rising to his face. “T-they do?  _ Both _ of them?”

She giggled, her laughter the perfect companion to the crackling fire. “You have no idea how proud Dad is that I’m your friend. It’s all he ever talks about when somebody mentions you.”

“Really?”

Why did he sound so breathless?

Marinette beamed. “Yes. Now sit.”

She reached for a mug not far from her. He sat down hesitantly, wondering how their distance felt to her. Was he too far, the way a wary stranger might be? Or was he too close, invading the private space she would want for herself?

“Hot chocolate?”

Chat blinked. A sweet, syrupy smell invaded his senses, coming from the mug Marinette held out to him. He frowned in confusion, trying to process her gesture.

“Have some,” she brought it even closer, making the offer so much more tempting.

Chat shook his head. “I… I can’t.”

He was already invading her cabin. Besides, he had cold apple cider at home.

Marinette frowned at his discomfort. “You don’t have to take this, of course. I just wanted to let you feel welcome… as a guest. All our guests deserve the wonders of hot chocolate, and you’re the best one by far.”

She set the drink down so it stood right between them. She lay one hand right next to it, only inches away from his own. Chat could feel its taunting heat, hear his heartbeat accelerate at the knowledge of her proximity.

It was hard to think about hot chocolate any more.

Marinette stretched so she was now at a more comfortable position. “I want you to feel at home here. Take off your shoes, set them by the fire and let them warm. See? You can put them right next to mine.”

She pointed to her pink slippers and wiggled her toes, a light laugh escaping her lips.

And he suddenly chuckled. Marinette smiled at the sound, gazing at him in complete and utter adoration.

It almost felt… familiar.

“I can’t, purr-incess. You see, my shoes are an inseparable part of my suit.”

He pulled on them, grinning like an idiot.

Marinette sighed playfully. “Then warm your feet, silly cat.”

Without a warning, she sat on her heels so she could better reach him. Then she moved his legs, ignoring Chat’s familiar grin, before she set his feet closer to the fireplace.

“There,” she announced.

Marinette moved back to a cross-legged position. She watched the fire, its flames dancing in the darkness.

Before finding her eyes drifting to the boy next to her.

“What?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

“It’s just…” she shook her head, smiling fondly, “you remind me of this.” She pointed toward the fire, which continued burning merrily. “Something about you is so wild and unrestrained, happy and carefree. It’s beautiful.”

She focused back on the flames, feeling some deep, hidden words rise within her. “I wish I could be like that.”

Chat sighed. The mirth in his eyes disappeared, replaced with something deeper. “I’m not always like that,” he said in a low voice.

Marinette turned to him, noticing how the light now emphasized the sharp ridges of his face. She watched him, waiting for his next words. 

And then a long, deep sigh finally escaped him.

“I don't know if I see myself that way. At home, I’m only an animation of a fire. I give off the same heat as a regular one, but it’s all just… a mask.” He touched the black fabric, chuckling bitterly. “And even with this identity, sometimes everything feels like a front. I just… yearn for the day I can  _ truly  _ be who I am; as free as this  _ real  _ fire.”

Chat held out his hands. He chuckled as the flames reached out for him, tickling his hands with a mischievous warmth.

Marinette watched the way a childlike wonder filled his eyes, awakening a deep laugh within him. Her heart filled with contentment, bringing strange, unexpected words to her lips.

“Why did you come here, out of all places?”

Chat leaned back. His eyes gazed into hers, making them seem deeper than ever before.

“I guess… you're the closest thing I have to home.”

And then he gazed back at the flames, letting their crackles fill the silence.

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, thanks to Inkjackets and AgresteBug for beta-reading! ❤️❤️❤️  
> Hope you enjoyed this fic! Please leave a kudos and comment if you did!  
> For more, you can find me on Tumblr under [katiechat](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/katiechat)!  
> And if you ever want to join a wonderful Miraculous community, full of fun events like this advent calendar and beautiful people like my beta readers, you're welcome to join [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)! I'm so happy to be there and I promise you that you will, too! There are so many different kinds of Miraculous fans there, whether writers, artists, readers or cosplayers! I'd love to see you there, and I promise you won't regret joining! ❤️❤️❤️


End file.
